Galvanic battery or pile.



No. 690,770. Patented Ian. 7, 1902/ c. J. REED &. m. T. monmLL. GALVANIGBATTERY OR PILE.

(Application filed July '6, 1899.1

(No Model.)

I'll 'IIIIIA'I: VIJIIIIIIIIII Ill! WITNESSES: IIIYEII 083 I 6. 56 @M F MQ 7 1 nrbgm'.

THE your: PEYERS coq'PuoYo-Lrmm WASHINGTON 04:,

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcs.

CHARLES JOHN REED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND MAROELLUS THOMASMORRILL, OF GOLDEN, COLORADO.

GALVANIC BATTERY OR PILE;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 690,770, dated January7, 1902.

- Application filed July'b, 1899. Serial No. 722,983. on model) T ailwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLEs JOHN REED, residing at Philadelphia, in thecounty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, and

MARCELLUS THOMAS MORRILL, residing at Golden, in the county of Jeifersonand State of Colorado, citizens of the United States, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Galvanic Batteries or Piles, of which IDthe following is a specification.

' Our invention relates to the type of galvanic batteries known as thedry pile, in which a number of cells or galvanic elements or couples arearranged in a single receptacle I 5 and electricallyconnected togetherin series.

The principal object of our invention is to provide means for securing aperfect insulation of each of the separate elements of the pile, wherebywe are enabled to employ an electrolyte containingalarge amount ofmoisture and having a large capacity and electromotive force withoutdanger of local electrical action or of leakage of liquid betweendifferent parts of the pile. I

A further object of our invention is to pro vide a pile which shall besimple and inexpensive in construction, as well as efiective inoperation and durable, and which maybe compressed sufficiently to bringthe parts 0 into close contact without danger of injury to any of suchparts.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which VFigure l is a vertical section of one form of the pile, and Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a slightly-modified construction. Figs. 3 and 4 aredetail views ofa portion of the pile and illustrate a modification ofone of the parts. Fig. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to Figs. 1and 2, but embodying a modification.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the battery orpile 1 comprises a metal receptacle or casing 2, in which are locatedthree galvanic elements or couples.

5 Our invention is, however, not limited as regards the number of suchgalvanic elements or couples, as will be readily understood. Thenegative electrodes 8 are in the form of flat plates or sheets of carbonor other suit able electronegative substance rendered impervious towater and saline solutions without interfering with their conductivityby being impregnated with wax, paraffin, rosin, pitch, or other suitablewaterproof filling. Ordinary retort-carbon or battery-carbon may beused; but we prefer to employ a flexible electrode formed by mixingpowdered or 'comminuted carbon, such as coke, with a small proportion ofwax and then rolling the mixture into thin sheets, so as to bring the 63grains of carbon into contact with each other and to expose theiroutersurfaces inorder to retain the conductivity of the plate as a whole andalso to render it impervious to water and chemical solutions. I 65 Aflexible carbon which is impervious to water is extremely desirable byreason of the fact that great pressure may be applied to the pile tobring the elements into intimate contact without danger ofcausingleakage by breaking the carbon or by forcing the electrolytethrough it and into contact with the zinc plate of the adjacent element.

"We are aware that attempts have heretofore been made to'use powderedcarbon in the construction of piles; but such carbon does not preventthe passage of the electrolyte to the next element, and all such prioruses have been, so far as we are aware, of no practical value.

' In close contact with one side of each carbon plate3 is a plate 4 ofzinc or other suitable electropositive metal. In contact with the zincplate on the side opposite the carbon plate 3 is a plate or septum 5, ofporous earthenware, paper, 'cloth, or other suitable material capable ofabsorbing water or'saline solutions. The plates or sheets of' carbon,zinc, and porous material we prefer to make of substantially equallength and breadth,and between each carbon plate and the adjacent porousseptum we placeasolid or nearly solid electrolytic mass of material 6,materially thicker, but of less length and breadth, than the plates 3,4, and 5. 5

Our invention is not limited to any specific mixture of materials forthe electrolytic bodies 6; but we prefer to employ a mixture of powderedcoke, manganese dioxid, ammonium chlorid, and water. If this materialwere placed in contact with the zinc plates, local electrolytic actionwould take place between the solid constituents of the material and theZinc that would short-circuit the battery and quickly destroy theplates. The plates 5 serve to prevent such contact, but permit theliquid contained in the material 6 to pass through and act upon thezinc.

The battery or pile built up as described is placed in the receptacle 2,with the bottom zinc plate 4 in contact with the bottom of thereceptacle, so that the latter constitutes one pole of the battery. Wehave shown the sides of the containing-receptacle 2 as provided with aninsulating-lining 2, of wood, paper, or other suitable material; butthis is not essential and may be omitted, if desired. The entire spacewithin the receptacle surrounding the battery elements is filled withwax, cement, or other suitable insulating material 7in Qrderto preventwater or solutions from passing around the edges of the plates, and thusshort-circuiting the elements. By making the bodies of the mixturecontaining the chemically-active material of less length and breadththan the carbon and zinc plates we provide suitable recesses for the waxand insure a more perfect insulation.

The lead 8 from the zinc plate at of the top element is soldered to suchplate and extends out through openings in the insulating-plate 9 justabove the zinc plate and in the metal plate 10 above and resting uponsuch insulating-plate. The plate 10 is in contact with the receptacle orcasing 2, and to it is soldered the other battery lead or terminal 11.Obviously this lead 11 might be attached to any part of the receptacle2, since the latter is in contact with the zinc platc4 and constituteselectrically a part of it.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the several parts are the samein construction and arrangement as those already described and aredesignated by the same referencenumerals, except as will be nowspecified. In this form of pile instead of making the receptacle 2 onepole or terminal of the battery by placing the bottom zinc plate tincontact with it the said plateis connected to the metal plate 10 at thetop by means of a suitable conductor 12, and between the plate 10 andthe top of the receptacle is located an insulating-plate 1-3. The lead11 is soldered or otherwise fastened to the plate 10 and extends outthrough openings in the plate 13 and in the top ol the receptacle incase the latter extends completely over the battery elements. The leador terminal 8, soldered to the top zinc plate at, also extends outthrough registering openings in the several plates located above it. Inthis form of battery the entire receptacle may be provided, if desired,with an insulating-lining 2, of wood, paper, or equivalent material, andthe entire space at the bottom, as well as at the sides, is filled withthe insulating wax or cement 7. After the several elements of the pileare assembled pressure is preferably applied vertically in order tobring the parts into more intimate contact, and the pile may then beinserted in the receptacle or it may be first dipped in melted wax tothoroughly and hermeticallyseal up the several couples in order topreventany possibility of leakage or short-circuiting of the elements.After the pile has been inserted in the receptacle, whether it has beenpreviously dipped in wax or not, the space surrounding it is completelyfilled with wax or other suitable cement, as already indicated.

In order to insure more perfect insulation of the separate elements, wefind it desirable in some cases to impregnate the edges of the poroussheets 5 when dry with wax. This enables us to more easily and perfectlyconfine the moisture and electrolytic solutions within the spaces wherethey are to be utilized. In Figs. 3 and awe have shown a porone plate orseptum 5, the entire edge 5 of which is impregnated with wax or othersimilar material for the purpose stated.

In Fig. 5 we have shown a battery or pile 1*, having a receptacle 2, thesides of which are provided with a lining 2201? paper, wood, or othersuitable insulating material, and containing four battery elements orcouples embedded in wax or other suitable insulating-- cement 7 in themanner shown in Fig. 1 and already described. In this form of battery,however, the zinc plates 4 instead of being placed in contact with thecarbon plates 3 are separated from them by plates 14 of insulatingmaterial, and in order to secure good electrical connection between thezinc plate of one element and the carbon plate of the adjacent elementwe locate between each insulating-plate 14. and the adjacent carbonplate 3 a plate 15, of tin or other suitable metal, which serves merelyas a conductor and is electrically connected to the zinc plate incontact with the opposite side of the insulating-plate 14 by means of awire 16 or other equivalent means-such, for example, as solderor an edgeor corner of either of the plates bent over, so as to bring the twoplates into electrical contact beyond the edge of the insulating-plate14;. The insulating-plate 14: is employed in order to prevent thepossibility of leakage from one element or cell to the next when thezinc plate has become punctured and partly eaten away by the chemicalaction of the cell. By employing the plates 15 a uniformly-good contactis secured with the carbon, and the resistance is reduced materiallybelow what it would be without the employment of such plates.

We desire it to be understood that our invention is not limited to thespecific forms and arrangement of parts shown and described, since manyvariations maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of ourinvention. For example, the plates may be circular, elliptical,orotherwise of different form from that shown, and the pile instead ofbeing inclosed in a metallic or other receptacle may be simply embeddedin a mass of waterproof wax or cement and held together by means ofbolts, clamps, or bands or in any other suitable manner.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. A galvanic battery or pile comprising a thin flexible, carbon-plateelectrode, an electropositive-plate electrode, a body containingelectrolytic material, and means for securely holding said parts incooperative relation to each other, substantially as herein set forth.

2. A galvanic battery or pile composed of a number of elements in theform of sheets or layers superposed upon each other and con-.

nected in series, one of said sheets or layers being formed of flexiblecarbon and the entire pile being embedded in insulating-cement,substantiallyas herein set forth.

, 3. Agalvanic element consisting of a carbon electrode, a zincelectrode, a porous septum of non-conducting material in contact withthe zinc, and a porous body containing electrolytic material and locatedbetween the carbon electrode and the porous septum, said electrode andseptum being of greater length .and width than said body, substantiallyas herein set forth.

4. A galvanic element consisting of a carbon electrode, a zincelectrode, a porous septum of non-conducting material in contact withthe zinc,and a porous body containing electrolytic material and locatedbetween the carbon electrode and the porous septum, said electrode andseptum being of greater length and width than said body, all beingembedded in insulating-cement, substantially as herein set forth.

5, A galvanic battery or pile composed of a number of elements connectedin series, each element consisting of a carbon electrode, a zincelectrode, a porous septum of non-conducting material in contact withthe zinc, and a porous body containing electrolytic material and locatedbetween the carbon electrode and the porous septum, said electrode.

and septum being of greater length and breadth than said body, all beingembedded in insulating-cement, substantially as herein set forth.

6. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of flat plates,superimposed one upon another, all inclosed in a single metallicreceptacle, the receptacle being electrically connected to one pole ofthe pile, but otherwise insulated from the pile by an insulating wax orcement, substantially as herein set forth.

7. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of flat plates,superimposed one upon another, and comprise flexible carbon electrodes,electropositive electrodes and an electrolyte, substantially as hereinset forth.

8. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of fiat plates,superimposed one upon another and comprise flexible electrodes of carbonimpregnated with wax or equivalent waterproof cement, electropositiveelectrodes and an electrolyte, substantially as herein set forth.

9. A galvanic battery or-pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of fiat plates,superimposed one upon another, and comprise flexible electrodes'ofcarbon impregnated with wax or equivalent waterproof cement, theentirepile, being embedded in wax or equivalent waterproof cement,substantially as herein set forth.

10. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of flat plates,superimposed one upon another, and comprise flexible electrodesof'carbon impregnated with wax or equivalent waterproof cement, zincelectrodes, porous septa in contact with the zinc, and an electrolyticmixture of smaller area than the electrodes and located between thecarbon electrode and the porous septum, substantially as herein setforth.

11. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of fiat plates,superimposed one upon another, and comprise flexi-' than the electrodesand located between the carbon electrodes and the porous septa, allembedded in wax or equivalent waterproof cement, substantially as hereinset forth.

12. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of flat plates, superimposed one upon another, and comprise flexible electrodes of carbonimpregnated with wax or equivalent waterproof cement, zinc electrodes,porous septa in contact with the zinc, an electrolytic mixtureof smallerarea than the electrodes and located between the carbon electrodes andthe porous septa, the entire periphery of each septum being impregnatedwith wax or equivalent waterproof cement, substantially as herein setforth.

. 13. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of flat plates,superimposed one upon another, and comprise flexible electrodes ofcarbon impregnated with wax or equivalent waterproof cement,zincelectrodes, porous septa in contact with the zinc, an electrolyticmixture of smaller area than the electrode and located between thecarbon electrode and the porous septum, the entire periphery of eachseptum being impregnated with wax or equivalent waterproof cement, andall the parts being embedded in wax or equivalent waterproof cement,substantially as herein set forth.

let. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, electrically connected together in series, the parts of eachelement being in the form of flat plates superimposed one upon another,the negative electrode of one element being mechanically separated fromthe positive electrode of the adjaccntelement byan insulating"plaleorlayer, and containing flexible electrodes of carbon impregnatedwith wax or equivalent waterproof cement,substantially as herein setforth.

15. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements, the parts of which are in the form of flat plates,superimposed one upon anotl1er,wl1ich comprise flexible electrodes ofcarbon impregnated with wax or equivalent Waterproof cement, all beinginclosed in a single metallic receptacle, and the receptacle beingelectrically connected to one pole of the pile, but otherwise insulatedfrom it, substantially as herein set forth.

16. A galvanic battery or pile consisting of two or more galvanicelements electrically connected in series, the parts of which are'in theform of flat plates superimposed one upon another, and comprise carbonand zinc electrodes, porous septa in contact with the zinc, anelectrolytic mixture of smaller area than the electrodes between thecarbon electrodes and the porous septa, the negative electrode of oneelement being mechanically separated from the positive electrode of theadjacent element by an insulating, plate or layer, suhstantially asherein set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said CHARLES JOHN REED, have hereuntosubscribed my name this 24th day of June, 1899.

CHARLES JOHN REED.

vi itnesses:

R0131. B. FLETCHER, THOMAS B. SMITH.

In testimony whereof I, the said Mancun- LUS THOMAS MORRILL, havehereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of June, 1890.

MAllCllhhUS 'IIIOMAS lllOltltlhh.

Witnesses:

ROY A. lllurrzmm, Ron I. Sonnnsim.

